The Sprout
Flower-filled mechanical egg, snapped by WI at Malvern Show
The newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 129 July 2018
The Sprout
Issue 129, July 2018
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
5 Flood Channel walk
9 Immy Howard, Milliner
13 Neighbourhood Plan
15 WWCC July Update
19 Tributes to Philip Stevens
22 Botley Baptists
25 Brownies Take a Challenge
27 E.T. Awareness
31 Seacourt Hall Open Day
35 Literary Botley (part 1)
39 Summer at the Library
40 Police Update
41 Randoms
43 Local Organizations
From the Editor
The Sprout continues to monitor ongoing changes. The shopping centre
redevelopment update is on page 15, and on page 5 an account of walking
the route of the proposed Flood Relief channel. The Parish Council has
now moved into the Grant Thornton building, and you can read about the
new set-up on page 31. We were sorry to learn that last month’s cover
caused consternation in the Baptist community, and we would like to
apologize unreservedly to anyone who thought we were announcing the
demise of the congregation, rather than the church building. We are glad
to report the Baptists of Botley are still thriving, and are looking forward to
moving to their new church in due course. You will find a history of the
Baptists in Botley on our centre pages (p.22). The Neighbourhood Plan is
in its final stages (p.13), and there will be a display at the Seacourt Hall
Open Day on July 15th. There are changes at the Library, too, where we
now have a new manager (p.39). We were sad to hear of the death in May
of Philip Stevens, a founder-member of North Hinksey Publications (aka
The Sprout). There are tributes to this much missed community stalwart
on page 19. Don’t forget The Sprout AGM, up at the Pavilion on Sunday 8th
July at 3pm. Linda Losito will give a short talk about the flora and fauna of
our playing fields. See you there! There won’t be another issue now until
September. Enjoy your summer, we’ll be back with the new school term.
Ag MacKeith
Letters to the Editor
Money well spent?
The statistics produced by Cllr Potter in the June Sprout on the recent
consultation by Nortoft for the Parish Council on the “rejuvenation” of the
Louie Memorial Fields and Pavilion were interesting. One in particular
stands out: fewer than 1 in 20 parishioners contributed to the
consultation, including those in the age range 10–24, for whom the
changes were specifically designed.
As a Vale taxpayer, I would find it very difficult to see how the Vale can
justify spending more than one million pounds on such a poorly supported
project, at a time when essential services for both young and old are
being cut back, and hospices are being forced to close some of their
activities.
Interestingly, the support was almost the same as the level of interest
shown when the Parish Council circulated all households in 2015 with a
questionnaire about leisure facilities. This could well reflect the large
variety already available in the area, as shown in the draft North Hinksey
Neighbourhood Plan.
Andrew Pritchard
Flood Alleviation Channel Walk
About 25 people, three dogs and two bicycles gathered at the Park and
Ride for a walk along part of the proposed flood channel on 2nd June.
The walk was organised by Debbie Dance (Director) and Rachel
Sanderson (Land Officer) of the Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT) who
own some of the land. Rachel explained the object of the walk was to
locate where the flood channel was going to be on the ground, and to
explain how the hydrology would change. She said that the lack of trees
and loss of flowers, such as the snake's head fritillaries, would make the
area feel much more suburban. More trees will be planted, but not here.
We set off, entering the Nature Reserve (Oxford City Council land) via
the gate off the Botley Road, and regrouped to look at a map showing the
extent of the channel. Debbie emphasised that nearly all of the current
trees will be felled so that the water can flow unimpeded in time of flood.
The Seacourt stream will be deepened, to provide a “first stage” channel,
while the area where we were standing is to be lowered by at least one
metre to be the “second stage” channel for flood events. It will be grassed
and mown several times a year, but maintenance is only guaranteed for
5 or 10 years. We walked on till we came to the pylons where she
explained that the two channels will divide leaving the pylon on an island.
Then onto OPT land where the wide channel keeps close to the stream
before veering off towards the middle of Willow Walk. Hinksey Meadow
is MT4 grassland (a rare, nationally recognised ecological category) the
value of which has only recently been recognized by the planners.
Consequently the width of the channel here has been reduced from 150m
to 60m, but it is still going to be very wide. The remaining OPT land, small
and unfenced, will not easily find a tenant. Debbie was also concerned
that the modelling was not reliable, since it was only two months ago that
they had realised that without an additional bund at Bulstake Stream, the
Thames could be flowing upstream towards North Hinksey.
Willow Walk will get a 19m single-span bridge, two metres higher than at
present. It would be ‘Highways standard width’ so that the bridge could
be maintained. It was hard to understand why this was necessary, since
the old bridge near North Hinksey Lane is much weaker and narrower. A
more appropriate design should be sought which still allows access.
Trees to 40m each side will have to be felled in order for a 1:20 slope to
be installed.
On the other side of Willow walk are more OPT fields, once used to graze
ponies from the local riding school. This field contains the only known
population of Creeping Marshwort in the country. It was transplanted from
Port Meadow when that population became threatened. The only other
place it has been found is Thetford, but that is now believed to be extinct.
Earlier that week the grass near it had been cut with a lawnmower, but
today it was under water due to the recent heavy rain.
This was an enjoyable walk with the information presented in an unbiased
way. The OPT has been working very hard to try to mitigate the effect of
the channel, but comments were still welcome from the public, especially
to change the style of the new bridge. Colin & Sally Hersom.
Immy Howard, Milliner
You may have admired all the wonderful
hats at the recent Royal Wedding and
felt inspired to find something gorgeous
for your next special occasion. Look no
further! Botley can now boast its very
own milliner. Immy Howard is a hat-
maker par excellence who provides
headwear for all events, including
photoshoots and a bespoke service as
well as hats for hire.
I visited Immy in her workspace in
Botley and found her oozing with
creativity, enthusiasm and love for her
work. Inspired by many things, she
particularly likes vintage silhouettes,
bold colours, and flowers and feels that
a good hat should stand on its own merit rather than be a last minute add
on to an outfit. Consultations are relaxed, though professional, and Immy
is particularly keen to ensure that clients feel comfortable with her
creations. She tells me that she strives to make hats accessible to
everyone and anyone – to wear one of her
hats should make you feel confident and
not self-conscious.
Immy graduated from Arts University
Bournemouth with a First Class (Hons)
degree in Costume Design in June 2017.
Since then she has been working part
time at the Oxford Playhouse as a
wardrobe assistant and has worked on
the last two Playhouse pantos including
creating the hats for their production of
Cinderella while still an undergrad. She
also works on bridal wear with Rosie Red
Corsetry & Couture in Eynsham and is
collaborating with Rosie on a collection of
bridal headpieces planned for 2019
which, although based in Oxford, will be
mainly online. Apparently hats are easy to post! All this still leaves plenty
of time for her own creations and Immy is currently working on bespoke
pieces for Ascot. She provides a colour-matching service for those who
have already chosen their outfits and everything is handmade by her.
She also makes sample pieces to help a client find the right shape for
themselves before deciding on final colour and personalized
embellishments.
The latest feather in her cap? Tatler magazine selected one of Immy’s
creations to feature in a piece entitled ‘Head Turners’ and I quote: ‘Immy
Howard creates wonderfully designed millinery pieces for any occasion.
Be it classic or “out of the ordinary” the sky is the limit for Immy Howard
Millinery’. What an accolade! This local girl is certainly going places with
her beautiful creations.
For an informal consultation or queries contact Immy by email
immyhowardmillinery@gmail.com by phone on 07584 559240 via her
website www.immyhowardmillinery.com.
Viv Smith
Neighbourhood Plan –
Final Consultation to 31st July
The North Hinksey Parish Neighbourhood Plan has now reached a very
important stage, as it is finally nearing completion. Up to 31st July
Parishioners , local businesses and other key stakeholders will have a
last opportunity to provide feedback on all aspects of the Plan and the
twenty-one planning policies it contains.
Copies of the Plan itself, plus various support documents, can be found
on the Neighbourhood Plan website at www.nhinkseynp.org.uk together
with a feedback form.
Printed copies of all documents are also available at Botley Library
throughout the consultation, and will be on show at the Open Day in
Seacourt Hall from 11am to 5pm on the 15th July where there will be
a display, and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Team will be on hand
to answer your questions.
Following the consultation, the Neighbourhood Plan Team will consider
the feedback and, where appropriate, make final changes before the Plan
is submitted to the District Council for consideration by an Independent
Examiner.
The Independent Examiner may suggest further changes, but all things
being well, the Plan should go to referendum later this year. At this point
you will get an opportunity to vote on adopting the Plan, but will not be
able to suggest any further changes as the referendum is a simple yes /
no vote.
Once adopted the Neighbourhood Plan will form part of the legislation
applying to all planning applications up to 2031, alongside the Vale’s
Local Plan 2031, and will therefore have a major impact on future
developments within our local area.
Cllr David Kay, Chairman, N. Hinksey Parish Neighbourhood Plan
July update on West Way Redevelopment
Demolition and Relocation: July should see the next stages of
relocation and demolition, when the (now rehoused) old Baptist Church
and Seacourt Hall will be the next buildings to be demolished.
Mace has submitted two separate planning applications to demolish units
25-28 West Way shopping centre. Demolition is already approved under
the full planning application, but these have been submitted to allow the
demolition to proceed and the temporary units to open, in advance of the
pre-commencement conditions being discharged.
The decision date for these applications is 19th June. WWCC has asked
to be told how the demolition will impact on Chapel Way and how safety
will be ensured.
Work to fit out the temporary retail units continues. Tesco and Co-op are
doing their own, and will relocate once they are ready. Before they can
open, the roadworks to allow delivery vehicle access from West Way
must be completed, and the conditions placed on the relevant planning
permission be discharged. The conditions on cycle parking and public
toilets are still under discussion, as the County Council have concerns
about cycle stands blocking the Chapel Way pavement, and about the
width and safety of the access route to the public toilets.
Construction vehicle routing and safety: Last year, Mace promised
that construction vehicles would use the least dangerous routes into and
out of the site, which are a right turn inward from Westminster Way, and
outward via West Way. SDC submitted a Construction Environmental
Management Plan, which proposed the more dangerous route involving
a left turn in from West Way. At the public drop-in event on 4th June, they
said that the right turn-in route would be used. They also said that there
would be a banksman available on Church Way, to walk beside large
vehicles, to ensure the safety of pedestrians, and to avoid conflict with
vehicles turning into or out of Elms Parade. We have asked them to clarify
and update the submitted plans.
Planning Applications: Approval of application for changes to the
full development: This application was considered by the Vale’s
planning committee on 30th May. WWCC, and local councillors Debby
Hallett (District) and Judy Roberts (County) spoke about safety issues. A
letter from Layla Moran MP also expressing concerns about safety was
read out. The committee approved the plans, subject to conditions. A
cycle parking plan will need to be approved, covering means of access to
each location, method of storage and type of racks to be used and
associated security measures to be employed.
New planning application for the temporary units: Mace have now
submitted a new application for the temporary units, to cover these
changes: demolition of units 25-28 of West Way shopping centre (on
Chapel Way opposite Seacourt Hall); a portacabin to house Chancellors
estate agents, and space for Branches Youth Café on the first floor of
Elms Court. We queried safety precautions during the demolition.
Cycle parking: We continue to be disappointed that Mace does not take
the need for safe cycle parking more seriously. They have increased the
number of parking spaces, but again cycle parking is an after-thought,
resulting in locations which are inconvenient or which create an obstacle
for other users. Space should be found for the promised provision of a
secure cycle compound for residents and employees (and showers for
employees). This would be in the interests of all users, and result in a
more successful and pleasant centre.
Besides, many will use the West Way centre for convenience or top-up
shopping, for which bicycle would be the appropriate means of transport.
We are interested in the safety of and convenience of all cycle users. It is
national and local policy to encourage cycling over other forms of
transport, and Oxford claims to be a ‘cycling city’.
Mace have taken the opposite approach, maximising car parking, and
squeezing cycle spaces into dark corners or with racks which would be
unusable for many cycles or by anyone not tall and strong. This is hard
to understand, given that the 260 students will not be allowed cars, and
that Premier Inn promotes itself as cyclist friendly. Students will park their
cycles where they consider safe (which may inconvenience other users
of the centre), and may even prefer to live where secure compounds are
available for their cycles.
Mace and Mountford Pigott should take this into consideration if they wish
the centre to be a success.
We will continue to monitor the planning process until the development is
built and take part in ongoing dialogue with the developers and the
community. Over the summer you can keep up-to-date via our website,
Facebook and Twitter and contact us any time by email. You can find us
on Westwayconcern.wordpress.com facebook.com/westwayconcern
twitter.com/westwayconcern or email us on westwayconcern@gmail.com
Mary Gill, Chair, West Way Community Concern
Tributes to Philip Stevens
With Philip’s passing at the end of May,
we certainly lost a hard working
community stalwart. He was kind,
generous, a very reliable man with a
lovely sense of humour and a twinkle in
his eye when being mischievous. His
commitment to serving others was
amazing. After his retirement as a senior
planning officer he always kept abreast of
all legislative changes. When elected to
North Hinksey Parish Council he was an
obvious choice to become Chair of
Planning. He personally visited every
planning application site in our area,
made detailed notes and quietly advised
the Planning Committee of his
observations. Long after his time on
NHPC his expertise was sought on
complicated and big planning applications.
He was one of the group of six who started The Sprout and worked hard
to ensure its survival before more advertisers and volunteers came on
board. The Sprout continues to provide news and information free of
charge to every household and business in the North Hinksey area. He
covered a delivery round until ill health forced him to stop.
Philip was Vice Chairman of the Botley & North Hinksey Community
Team that runs the community website www.botleyhinksey.org.uk and
was responsible for keeping the calendar diary up to date.
He was a wonderful community-minded man and if he committed to a
cause he was reliable, hardworking and a pleasure to have on a team.
Like many others, I shall miss him and his expertise will be a big loss to
many organisations. At one time he was treasurer on four different groups
he was involved in, no one wanted to take over so he did his best. Typical
of Philip! Briony Newport
It would be hard to find another individual who has given up more of their
life to supporting local organisations, and the community of Botley and
North Hinksey as a whole, than Philip Stevens.
Although his time as a Parish Councillor ended a number of years ago,
his contributions to many of the Council’s core activities, in particular
relating to Planning, had a major impact that continues to resonate today.
While moving NHPC’s archived files into the new location for Seacourt
Hall, we found a surprising number of plans and other documents with
Philip’s name on them.
In more recent years Philip continued to contribute to other Parish Council
related activities, including membership of the Seacourt Hall
Management Committee, and volunteering with the Neighbourhood Plan
Team. In the latter role he not only became a member of the overall
Steering Committee and took on the position of Treasurer, but also joined
the Housing Working Group, undoubtedly the trickiest section of the
whole Plan. As ever Philip always put forward his opinions calmly and
listened carefully to others even when discussions got particularly heated.
Although he had considerable experience in planning matters he never
suggested that he thought he knew better than you, but he did have a
knack of gently guiding the process forward in a logical way.
Overall Philip was a true gentleman, and he will be greatly missed by all
those people who have worked closely with him over the years.
David Kay
Botley Baptists
Planted in the past as a lasting witness for the future
Botley Baptist Church was born in 1892, when regular meetings for divine
worship were held in the Workman’s Hall in Old Botley, rented from the Earl
of Abingdon. It survived its first decade with the dedicated help of New Road
Baptist Church, in Bonn Square, which supplied preachers and financial
assistance. The new Church had a real heart and zeal for its mission. During
the summer months, evangelical meetings were held in Dean Court,
Wytham Lane (now Botley Interchange on the A34) and also the then Co-op
Recreational Grounds on Botley Road (now under the Park & Ride). The rise
in general literacy towards the end of the nineteenth century, encouraged
them to distribute leaflets widely.
At the turn of the nineteenth century,
Baptist witness in Botley was well
established and a chapel on Botley
Road was built in 1912–13, financed by
the sacrificial giving of a small
community, aided by an individual grant
of £100. The chapel (now a surveyors’
office) stood witness to the transforming
work of Jesus Christ for the next fifty-
four years.
Regent’s Park College’s move to Oxford
in 1927 was a blessing to many Baptist
Churches. During 1929-1933 four
student ministers among others
sustained the work at Botley, made possible through generous grants by
members towards their stipends.
In March 1932 a Women’s Bright Hour initiative started ministry among
women. The tireless endeavours of Mrs J Tucker, Mrs E P Sharpe and Mrs
Neale over several years, laid the foundation for a robust women’s
fellowship, now known as Ladies in Fellowship Together (LIFT).
During the Second World War, membership dwindled, and the morning
service was suspended. Members of the New Road Church living close to
Botley were encouraged to attend the Botley Church’s afternoon service and
the New Road Young People’s Fellowship started a local youth centre.
Brixton Girls’ School moved to Botley during the War, and their use of the
Church premises bolstered finances. As a result, Botley was able to
contribute towards the work of the Baptist Missionary Society and make a
donation to the newly established John Bunyan Baptist Church in Cowley.
After the war ended, a succession of student ministers from Regent’s Park
College increased the congregation and Sunday children’s services to 60 in
the morning and 52 in the afternoon! In October 1951, 13 new members were
received and a further 10 were baptised in that year.
In 1952, at a joint meeting between Botley and Eynsham Baptist Churches,
Richard J Hamper, student Minister at Regent’s Park College was
unanimously invited, ordained and inducted as the first full-time Minister
serving both Churches. Botley recorded 12 new members, including 8
through Baptism. Growth in Church and Sunday school attendance made it
necessary to consider larger premises. A new Church building on the corner
of Westminster Way and Chapel Way came into service on 9 September
1967 with financial assistance from the Baptist Union Corporation helped by
the sale of South Hinksey Baptist Church (now the village hall).
In 2004, 112 years after the arrival of the Church in Botley, its members
desired a renewal of the Church to serve Botley, North Hinksey, Cumnor and
neighbouring areas. Woodfield Brady Architects were briefed to develop a
scheme that reflected the Church’s aspiration to provide a place of worship
and fellowship, fit for purpose in the 21st century, and which also offered a
renewed partnership with Regent’s Park
College. The College’s Principal, Revd Dr
Robert Ellis said, “The Botley Centre
offers us the opportunity of extending our
provision for students, and in such a way
as to create a small, self-contained
community away from our main college
site. It's an exciting development.”
At a special meeting in September 2016,
the Botley Baptist Church decided
unanimously, to join the scheme for the
redevelopment of the West Way shopping
precinct as proposed by MACE, and
approved by the county council in April
2016. A new purpose-built building will
offer a modern worship space, several
spacious meeting rooms and residential flats for the church to serve the
community in new and exciting ways. See www.botley baptistchurch.org to
learn more about us, or email us at botleybaptistchurch@gmail.com.
Please pray for us and join us if you are able, in God’s exciting ministry in
the west of Oxford!
(From a leaflet submitted by Rev. Kalyan Das)
Brownies Take the Challenge
Since the previous article 2nd Botley Brownies welcomed another
newcomer, Ailla, before continuing to work through the syllabus for an
anniversary Trefoil Guild badge. The latest thing we did was play map-
symbol bingo which was exactly that – but great fun.
As promised, we had a fabulous Division Guiding Activity Day at a local
Scout campsite. The leaders at Division level had kindly organized an
activity day for all Rainbows,
Brownies and Guides from the West
of Oxford area. Our coach had to
arrive in an allotted time-slot so that
everyone could get a fair share of
the activities on offer. Our Brownies
enjoyed increasing levels of
difficulty as they climbed up the
climbing wall and then abseiled
down again four times. Then we moved on to caving – a “Marmite”
experience. After our lovely lunches, we completed a small puzzle book
and a bingo-style quiz, in which you could earn a lollipop by asking other
girls and leaders questions as an “ice-breaker”. All the girls were
desperately keen to complete that quiz and get the reward, so there was
a lot of helping each other with the questions to make sure this happened!
Finally, we tried our hand at archery, leaving just enough time to cook
some summores over the camp fire before catching our coach home.
Here are some comments from the girls
themselves:
“Rock wall – I really liked it. Hard but I did it.”
“Scary caving – but I tried it.”
“Caving – I did it! It was scary and
claustrophobic.”
“Archery – I scored two in the red!”
“I liked the campfire.”
“Bingo lollipop was a great idea.”
“It was great seeing so many Guiding faces.”
Before the next edition we shall be off on our
themed “Robin Hood” Brownie Holiday.
Lucy Howes
Essential Tremor Awareness
“I don’t have Parkinson’s. I inherited my shaking head from my
grandfather Hepburn. I discovered that whiskey helps stop the shaking.
Problem is, if you’re not careful, it stops the rest of you too. My head just
shakes, but I promise you, it ain’t gonna fall off!”
When Katherine Hepburn said these words in the documentary “All about
me” she was referring to a neurological condition variously called Palsy,
Benign Familial Tremor, and now Essential Tremor (ET).
The National Tremor Foundation (NTF) is the registered British charity
which supports people with this condition. Established in 1994 they
estimate that up to eight times as many people have the condition as
have Parkinson’s. But have you even heard of it?
ET most commonly occurs in the hands, head, jaw, lips, voice, legs or
trunk. Some people are born with the condition, but it can develop at any
stage of life frequently increasing in severity with age. Described as an
“intention tremor” or “action tremor” it’s cause is not known – this is what
the “essential” in Essential Tremor means in medical parlance. Though
for many it may be no more than an annoyance, its severity can increase
until people have difficulty performing everyday tasks of eating, dressing
or teeth cleaning. It is exacerbated by stress, hunger, cold or tiredness.
Some prescription medicines also seem to make the tremor more
marked. Those with the condition are often accused of being nervous or
afraid, or to be suffering the after effects of drink or drugs.
Diagnosis is important, to rule out other conditions such as Parkinson’s
or Dystonia. In the past, and in some parts of the world still today,
patients were recommended to drink alcohol; but though it hides the
symptoms in the short term this can lead to very dangerous dependence.
The drugs commonly prescribed often have side-effects, but a treatment
has been developed that stimulates the brain using wires attached to a
battery under the skin, and trials are underway using ultrasound waves.
March is the Month designated for raising awareness of ET. This year
the NTF held an Open Day at the Holiday Inn in Oxford. Presentations
included the recent trials of Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused
Ultrasound, and Kevin Harfoot, Chair and Treasurer of the NTF, and
Jackie Farrrell, support group coordinator, spoke about their respective
roles. Jackie also gave a presentation on ET. I spoke about my own
experience of the condition and set out the plans for the new Oxford
support group, which I presently organize.
It is important to raise awareness in society generally, and so to empower
those with the condition. This can be done through a network of local
groups, sharing experiences and exchanging coping strategies. Support
is growing. Downton fans will remember Carson the butler developing
the shaking hands which had brought an end to his father’s career. This
was written into the series by Lord Fellowes (President of the NTF), who
had developed the condition himself. Corrie’s Rob Mallard spoke out
about the condition after being accused of taking drugs when his tremor
was noticed in a television interview. Charles Schultz, the creator of
Peanuts, had the condition, and probably so did a medieval scribe who is
known to us only as “The Tremulous Hand of Worcester” and whose
wobbly handwriting may be seen in beautiful ancient manuscripts where
he translated Old English into Middle English.
If you have Essential Tremor and would like to meet up with others with
the condition for social get-togethers, trips out, or educating ourselves
and others about it, please get in touch with me; and if you know someone
who has a tremor, please pass them this article to read. You can contact
me at: oxford@tremor.org.uk or on 07851 774182. For further information
go to www.tremor.org.uk
Katherine Phillips
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P18/V0973/DIS,
P18/V1239/FUL
P18/V1190/D,
P18/V1191/D
Botley Centre West Way. Discharge of
several conditions, temp change of use,
change to access arrangements. Demolish
Baptist Church & units 24-28 Chapel Way.
15 May
Target
Decision Date:
11 July
P18/V1208/HH
14 Sweetmans Rd. Variation of conditions 2
& 3 of P17/V0600/HH. including new drive
access.
15 May
TDD: 10 July
P18/V1133/HH
12 Poplar Rd. Proposed loft conversion,
single storey rear extension and alterations.
22 May
TDD: 17 July
P18/V1322/HH
1 St Pauls Crescent. 2 storey side extension
over garage to enlarge bedroom & create a
study.
24 May
TDD: 19 July
P18/V1328/HH
108 North Hinksey Lane. Single storey rear
extension.
25 May
TDD: 20 July
P18/V1426/DIS
Gables 6 Cumnor Hill. Discharge several
conditions to P17/V3275/FUL..
6 June
TDD: 18 July
Seacourt Hall Open Day – Sunday 15th July
You are invited to an Open Day on Sunday 15th July to view the new
location for Seacourt Hall.
After a couple of years of uncertainty and delays around the West Way
redevelopment, Seacourt Hall has now moved next door to the second
floor of the Grant Thornton building. The new location is temporary, but
we will be located there for at least a year until the brand new Community
Hall is built as part of the West Way redevelopment. This temporary
elevated location provides new opportunities for the community, with
more space and light, larger hall and dance floor, meeting / presentation
room, craft room and fully fitted out kitchen. The spaces are ideal for
clubs, exercise and dance classes, meetings, catered events and parties!
The new hall space provides:
Larger hall – 230 m
2
including dance floor area (120 m
2
)
Kitchen facilities
Larger meeting / presentation room (c. 50 m
2
)
New Craft room (c. 30 m
2
) primarily used by Branches Young
People’s group
Lift with wheelchairs provided and accessible toilets
Lots of light (trees screen the
view of the A34!) and good
soundproofing.
As you may know, the ground floor
houses the Co-op and the first floor
is the temporary home for the
Baptist Church and their café, open
from Monday to Saturday. It’s a
great place to catch up for a coffee,
cake or lunch after your class or
meeting!
We have more photos on the
website www.seacourthall.org.uk
and on the Parish Council Facebook
page, but why not come and see for
yourselves on our Open Day? The
day will include:
Information on how to hire
the hall and meeting rooms
Details of the long-term plans for the permanent Community Hub
A display about the Neighbourhood Plan consultation
Opportunities to meet local groups and organisations
Art activities for all ages in the Craft Room
Tea, coffee and cakes provided by Branches Youth café
And more.
We are excited to welcome existing and new users to this expanded,
flexible space. You can book the hall online at www.seacourthall.org.uk,
by email: seacourt.hall@gmail.com and by phone on 07452 960100. It’s
the first step towards Botley’s new Community Hub, planned for the
redeveloped shopping centre. Come along on July 15th and get a feel for
how it might work.
Lorna Berrett, Chair, Seacourt Hall Management Committee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Botley Bridges Summer Programme
What will you be doing with your little ones over the summer? Botley Bridges
is here to help! As well as the
Wednesday and Friday regular
programme starting on 30th July and
findable on their website www.botley
bridges.org or Facebook page
www.facebook.com/botleybridges,
they will be reprising last year’s
popular sessions in local parks with
fun and crafts for kids aged 1–10.
They cost £2.50 per family
(concessions: £1) and will be all
around the area as follows: 30th
July, Cumnor Hurst, 1.30-3.30; 8th
August, Louie Memorial Field,
same times; 15th August, Botley
Park, ditto; 20th August, Cumnor
Glebe Rd Park, morning session
10.30 to 12.30, Wed 29th, Oatlands
Rd Rec, same times, and 3rd Sept,
Dean Court Playground, 1.30 to
3.30. Be there or miss a treat!
Literary Botley (part 1)
This article looks at some authors of books who, at one time or another,
lived in North Hinksey parish (their names will be in bold). They don’t
have to be living here at the time that the book was written or published.
North Hinksey Village seems to be the
literary capital of this area. Undoubtedly
one of its most successful authors, who
is also a publisher, is Chris Andrews.
(See photo.) He is renowned for
excellent photograph books of places
like Oxford, the Cotswolds, Stratford
Upon Avon and Cheltenham. His
Oxford, The Colleges and University
(2004) even has a foreword from the
University’s chancellor, Chris Patten. He
also published Rocking in Oxford by
Botley’s Trevor Hayward who died in
2016. This year Chris published The Spirit of the Royal Air Force – One
Hundred Years of Excellence.
Sir Walter Raleigh of Harcourt Hill, as mentioned before in The Sprout
was the first official historian of the RAF and his book The War in the Air:
being the story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force,
was published shortly after his death in 1922.
One of my favourite books to be written by a local is by Alice Maud
Harvey (née Bishop), who recorded her memories in the book Memories
of a Country Childhood in North Hinksey Village.She spent much of her
long life living here and was a lovely lady.
The van Heningen family once lived at College Farm in North Hinksey
and have had talent in abundance. Ruth van Heyningen, a leading
researcher on the biochemistry of the eye, celebrated her 100th birthday
last year. Her husband (known as Kits) who, after World War Two, carried
out research with Howard Florey at the William Dunn School of Pathology
in Oxford published, under the name W.E. van Heyningen, The Key to
Lockjaw: an autobiography in 1987 and also translated Marcel Pagol’s
books Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources into English. They were
subsequently made into films. Carol Phillips, who was his secretary from
1971–81 recalled to me that one of her favourite jobs was typing up these
translations on a Monday morning. Kits was the first master of Oxford’s
St Cross College when it was founded in 1961. Both Kits and Ruth also
had published many scientific papers and reviews in journals.
Chris Sugden, a North Hinksey Village resident since 1983, mentioned
in the May 2018 edition of The Sprout a book on a sensitive but important
issue, Talking about Dying of which his wife Elaine Sugden was a co-
author. Another of her books was Unfamiliar Journey – Christian and
Inter-Faith Relations, co-written with John Sargant. Chris has also written
several books on faith matters including his Radical Discipleship (co-
written) in 1981, The Natural Mystery of Folk Religion (1992) and Seeking
The Asian Face of Jesus (1997) amongst others.
Finally I must mention a gem of a book, The Story of North Hinksey by
Diana Swayne (1973), who came to live in Ferry Cottage by the Fishes
in the mid 1960s. In her credits she mentions fellow villager Maggie Berry
(née Floyd) and Richard Jeffery from Harcourt Hill. She later moved away
but whatever happened to this remarkable lady? Find out in part 2! If you
know of anyone you’d like to add to the roster of local authors, please do
get in touch. You can phone me on Oxford 725116 or email me at
martin.harris321@gmail.com
Martin Harris
Summer at the Library
Jim Keen has managed Botley Library since
2010, but has left to move back to Wantage, his
home town, and take up the post of Group
Library Manager with responsibility for
Faringdon, Bampton and Grove as well as
Wantage itself. He leaves with mixed emotions,
he says, looking forward to the challenge, but
sure he will miss ‘the excellent staff and the
community surrounding us which has always
been welcoming and supportive throughout my
time here.’ Thanks, Jim, for all your hard work.
And a warm welcome to Elizabeth Ward, the
new manager. She has worked in Oxfordshire Libraries for 17 years, and
comes to us from Summertown Library.
This year’s Summer Reading challenge for children starts on Saturday
14th July and the theme is ‘ Mischief Makers’. Oxfordshire children can
join Dennis, Gnasher and friends in libraries this summer for an epic
journey in Beanotown. Find buried treasure, solve clues and collect
stickers as you read 6 books of your choice. Pop in to the library and we
can sign you up.
We are not forgetting the grown-ups, either, as the library service is
running Oxfordshire Reads from Saturday 7th July, when we’ll be
inviting readers to tell us about their favourite books. Everyone who
completes a postcard, available from libraries, is then entered in to a prize
draw and could win some exciting prizes!
We are running Craft sessions on Sat 14th and Sat 21st July. Materials
all provided but children must be accompanied by an adult. Don’t forget
that Digital helpers are available for help with computers so please
check with the library for dates and times.
Readers who are going away on holiday and prefer eBooks to lighten
their load can check out our ebooks, Audio books and magazines
available for downloading via the ‘Libby’, Borrowbox or RBDigital apps.
Please ask your friendly library staff if you want to learn more.
Finally, can we reassure our readers that we are not moving from our
present location until the new library is built.
A happy Summer to all our readers. Botley Library Staff
Police Update
Parking problems The neighbourhood team has recently been called
out to a parking confrontation around Cumnor Hill and Delamare Way.
While we appreciate that intrusive parking can be frustrating, we would
like to remind people that damaging or interfering with vehicles, or acting
in a threatening or abusive way to their drivers, is not acceptable and will
be dealt with appropriately. If residents have a grievance about parking
they should contact the Vale or the County Council highways department,
unless an offence is being committed, in which case call 101.
Witness appeals A house on Lime Road was burgled on the afternoon
of May 18th. The burglars forced the front door and a high value of gold
was stolen. A house on Evelyn Close was also broken into sometime
during 23rd May. The offenders gained entry by forcing a rear door,
although nothing appears to have been taken.
If anyone has any information about either of these incidents please call
101. If you would like any security advice, you can email me on
AbingdonOuterNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk.
Have your say meetings Alternatively, if you would like a face-to-face
chat with me about any local concerns, you will find me at the Dean Court
Community Centre between 2 and 3pm on 9th June and 7th July. I was
there recently on 21st May for a meeting of the University of the 3rd Age,
making a presentation on crime prevention covering home security,
burglaries and fraud.
New South and Vale Facebook site To complement our other channels
of communication we have launched the South and Vale Facebook page.
If you are on Facebook please visit www.facebook.com/tvpsouthandvale
and like/follow us.
Contact us If you would like to contact the neighbourhood team you can
call us on the police non-emergency number 101 (in an emergency dial
999). To view information on your neighbourhood team visit the Thames
Valley Police website at: www.thamesvalley.police.uk. Receive free local
crime alerts and crime prevention advice by registering at
www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk today. You can choose what updates you
receive and how you would like to receive them. The Thames Valley
Police Twitter account is bang up to the moment. You can follow us
@TVPSouthandVale.
PCSO Adrian Wright
Randoms
Part-Time Caretaker needed at LM Fields
North Hinksey Parish council is looking for a new part-time caretaker. The
current post holder is leaving for full-time work, so there is an outdoor job
on offer up the top. The gross salary is £247.45 a month, for an average
of 24 hours work. (It’s worked out by averaging the monthly hours over
the year, as there is less to do in the winter.) The pavilion is run by a
management committee and the caretaker’s work will involve liaising and
working with them, carrying out safety checks on the play equipment,
marking the lines on the football pitch, etc, etc. For further details and a
job description with a full list of duties, please contact the Parish Clerk on
Oxford 861992 or by e-mailing nhpcclerk@msn.com Closing date for
applications: 18th July.
Sprout Deliverers needed
If you’d like to volunteer locally in a way that is mildly good for your
general fitness, please considering becoming a Sprout deliverer. It can
take as little as half an hour a month, so it’s hardly arduous, and it’s so
worth it! We also need a few people to sit on the relief roster, ready to
step into the shoes of a regular deliverer who’s ill or on holiday. If this
could be you, contact deliveries@thesprout.org.uk or come and talk to us
at the Sprout AGM on 8th July up at the Pavilion.
Have you got surplus food? Are you going on holiday with your fridge
half full? Is your garden or allotment producing more than you can eat?
Are your trees drooping with fruit? Please help to reduce food waste:
bring your surplus food to the Botley community fridge. It is in St.
Peter & St. Paul’s Church, West Way OX2 9LS, and is open Mon–Sat,
9am–5pm and on Sunday 11am–5pm.
Riki Therivel
Sobell House
Donations will be collected every other Monday until end August, 12 noon
till 3pm at Ss Peter & St Paul’s Church Hall. Tracy & our wonderful
volunteers from our old Botley shop will be on hand to accept your
donations. Come and see us and bring along your clothing, shoes, bric-
a-brac etc. It will be just like old times!
Judi Bolder
Seacourt Hall Management Committee seeks nominations
Seacourt Hall is managed by a Committee of Trustees made up of
representatives of the North Hinksey Parish Council, hall users and public
representatives. At the AGM on 26th September (7pm at Seacourt Hall)
two members of the public will be elected by those eligible and present
at the AGM. Nominations must reach the Secretary before 5pm on 12th
September, by post in the letter-box at Seacourt Hall or by email to
michael.cockman@gmail.com. To find out about the responsibilities of
being a trustee, call me on 07766 317691.
Michael Cockman, Secretary
Botley Women’s Institute is looking forward to listening to Liz Woolley’s
talk, “The Coming of the Railway to Oxford” at our meeting on 3rd July,
starting at 7:30 pm. The walking group will meet at 10am on Thursday,
12th July at the W I hall for lifts to a walk around Blenheim; and on
Tuesday 17th July the Craft evening will meet at 7:30pm to try decorating
a little box alongside members’ own craft projects. Visitors welcome!
Alison Jenner
World Poohsticks Champion
Innes Turnbull brought the title of World Poohsticks Champion back to
Botley on 3rd June, when he won the competition in Witney. He's seven
years old and attends North Hinksey Primary. There's lots of good photos
on their Facebook page, if you’d like to know what that entailed.
Sprout AGM 8th July Pavilion
Your chance to hear Linda Losito talking about the flora and fauna of the
Louie Memorial Playing Fields, a matter of close interest in the context of
the proposed new pavilion and play equipment.
Open Day on July 15th at the New Seacourt Hall
(Aka Grant Thornton Building). Various local groups will have stalls there,
including The Sprout. The Neighbourhood Plan is nearing completion and
will be on display, and there will be a chance to comment, as well as lots
of other things to do, with refreshments courtesy of the Branches Youth
Cafe. Branches now has a summer programme, which they will be happy
share at the open day. If you want to know more, they also have a
Facebook page: Branches Youth Cafe
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Baby & Toddler Group
Badminton Club
Books on Wheels R.V.S.
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Botley Health Walks
Botley Library
Botley Singers
Community Fridge
Cumnor Choral Society
Cumnor Chess Club
Cumnor & District Historical
Society
Cumnor Gardening Club
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Hill End Volunteer Team
Let’s Sing! – singing group
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
Mum and Baby Yoga for
babies from 6 wks to crawling
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare Clubs
N Hinksey Art Group
N Hinksey Bellringers
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
N Hinksey, Friends of
N Hinksey Horticultural Soc
N Hinksey Parish Council
N Hinksey Youth Club
Over Sixties Lunch Club
Oxford Flood Alliance
Oxford Flower Arranging Club
Oxford Otters
Oxford Rugby Club
Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis
Club, N Hinksey
Parkinson’s Disease Soc
Raleigh Park, Friends of
West Way Day Centre
Saturdads
Botley Bridges
Seacourt Hall management
committee
Shotokan Karate club
Weight Watchers
West Oxford Bowls Club
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
West Oxford U3A
Which Craft?
Women’s Institute (Botley)